Hybrid Software Engineer IV

at Grainger

• Job title: Software Engineer IV
• Job type: Full Time
• Experience level: Mid level, Senior
• Salary: $134,100 - $223,500 per year
• Degree requirement: Bachelor's Degree
• Tech skills: AWS, Azure, Cloud, Distributed Systems, Docker, Flask, Google Cloud Platform, Kubernetes, Prometheus, Python
• Location requirements: Hybrid, Lake Forest, United States

About the role

• Staff Software Engineer developing backend platforms that power AI real-time experiences for Grainger. Leading technical architecture and orchestration efforts with scalable backend systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of backend services that enable AI-powered, real-time and asynchronous applications
• Own backend architecture decisions, including service boundaries, state management, and request orchestration
• Build scalable, reliable systems that support streaming, event-driven, and low-latency workflows
• Define and maintain clear API contracts and data models with extensibility and backward compatibility in mind
• Ensure backend platforms meet reliability, performance, and observability standards in production environments
• Partner with front-end engineers to deliver efficient, well-integrated end-to-end solutions
• Drive improvements to CI/CD, automated testing, and deployment practices for backend services
• Influence the technical roadmap and contribute to long-term platform strategy for AI-enabled capabilities
• Act as a technical leader and mentor, raising system design and backend engineering maturity across the team

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in computer science or a related degree, or relevant work experience.
• 5+ years of experience designing, building, and operating cloud-native backend systems.
• Strong proficiency in Python and modern backend development, including RESTful and/or streaming APIs (FastAPI/Flask)
• Deep understanding of distributed systems, asynchronous programming, and event-driven architectures
• Experience orchestrating complex systems involving external APIs, data services, and AI/ML components
• Proven ability to make sound architectural decisions and lead through influence in ambiguous problem spaces
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS/GCP/Azure), containerization (Ex: Docker, Kubernetes), CI/CD, and production observability practices (Ex: Datadog, Prometheus, Kibana)

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans with coverage starting on day one of employment and 6 free sessions each year with a licensed therapist to support your emotional wellbeing.
• 18 paid time off (PTO) days annually for full-time employees (accrual prorated based on employment start date) and 6 company holidays per year.
• 6% company contribution to a 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan each pay period, no employee contribution required.
• Employee discounts, tuition reimbursement, student loan refinancing and free access to financial counseling, education, and tools.
• Maternity support programs, nursing benefits, and up to 14 weeks paid leave for birth parents and up to 4 weeks paid leave for non-birth parents.